Lady Eagles finish “Scrimmage Weekend” in nice fashion

Robert Avery

Published 1:00 am, Sunday, August 7, 2016

If this weekend didn’t whet the appetite of high school volleyball fans, nothing will.

It was “Scrimmage Weekend” for the multitude of volleyball programs across Texas this weekend, bringing the end to a fast and furious six days for the coaching staffs from one corner of the state to the next.

After all, it was only this past Monday that practices began and tryouts were held. Now the real deal arrives Tuesday for the majority of the Pasadena ISD teams and Deer Park. The brand-new district that the UIL formed last winter created a little more time for non-district assignments this season and next.

But of all the gymnasiums that were hustling and bustling with serves, serve-receives and side-outs, the Bob Barfield Sports Complex on the Pasadena High School campus was non-stop volleyball Friday and Saturday.

Both days, Pasadena High School hosted the arrival of several opponents. Saturday, Brazosport, Galena Park and Spring Woods came to the gym, one day after Aldine Nimitz and Yes Prep-Southeast were on location.

The Lady Eagles played each opponent twice, meaning head coach Lynn Perry had plenty of time to determine where her girls stood in terms of readiness for the season’s arrival Tuesday night when they travel to Galveston Ball for their opener.

“We definitely got off to a slow start today. We didn’t look very good in the first couple of matches that we played. But we woke up and picked it up, ending the day positively. They’re just going to have to learn to play the same way every time they step on the court,” Perry said.

For this season and the 2017 campaign, Perry will have a wealth of seniors on the squad. This fall, she’ll have 10 seniors at her disposal. Next year, that number could be even higher.

“I think this is the biggest senior class since I’ve been coaching. In 30 years, I’ve never had 10 seniors and next year, it’ll be 11 if they all stay in the program,” Perry said.

With her setter ranked 10th in her class academically, no pass, no play shouldn’t derail Pasadena’s hopes of going after one of the district’s four playoff berths.

In a match with the Lady Exporters, Pasadena began building a lead after the two were tied early. The advantage reached eight points at 20-12 but no higher before the 25-minute clock expired.

Brazosport gave Pasadena trouble with a pair of middle blockers who brought nice height to the floor. Their smashes and tips were the reason the Lady Eagles couldn’t enlarge that eight-point lead.

Pasadena saved its best for the serving line. The team was in the 80 to 90 percent accuracy range when delivering balls to the other side of the net, both Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, the team defeated Aldine Nimitz 39-24 and Yes Prep 34-24.

At Sam Rayburn’s gym Friday morning, the Lady Texans hosted Galena Park. In one of two meetings, Galena Park’s Alana Perez and Mackenzie Swanson hurt Sam Rayburn in more ways than one. Rayburn jumped out to a 6-1 lead, but Perez was lethal at the serving line.

She held serve for seven unanswered points, collecting a couple of aces in the process. Rayburn fought back to forge a 19-19 tie, but a Perez dink at the net started a match-ending 11-4 run. Swanson returned to the serving line and hurt the Lady Texans again by staying put for six points.